Former lieutenant Sophie Brook claims she suffered sexual harassment during her time in the Royal Navy | UK News

A former female lieutenant told how she was sexually harassed and punched during her time in the Royal Navy, causing her to “harm herself to the point of needing stitches”.

Sophie Brook has told Sky News she would “cry in bed” because of the way she was treated, and once tried to break her own arm to avoid being put on a particular submarine.

The 30-year-old joined the Navy at the age of 18 and then transferred to the Submarine Service three years later.

Interested in a military career from an early age, she said she “didn’t expect to have any problems”, but “the culture became clear” early on on her first patrol in year 2014.

It was on that trip that 21-year-old Brook, then experienced a senior officer posting 50 seconds through a vent in her room, and told her they were “a failed job.” .

“I think I was trying to make do with it,” she said. “I’ve always expected some degree of error and I accept that we are new… and I believe it will take some time for things to change.

“I want to fit in with them and let them accept that we are helping because we are competent officers.”

“I’m ashamed to say I didn’t say ‘it’s wrong,’ I suppose because I was scared,” the submariner added.

‘Put their penis in your pocket’

In one example, Ms. Brook explained how officers tried to distract her while she was on a mission to look out of the submarine’s periscope by blowing on her neck or sticking their tongues into her ears.

“It was like a favorite pastime of the seniors to us, to try to convince us to take our eyes off the mast,” she said.

“That can range from them telling us ‘guess what I put in your pocket’ to having them actually put their penis in your pocket. Obviously, that’s to get a response. response.

“They’ll suck their finger and then put that finger in your ear and then, if you take your eyes off the mast, and this is common among men and women, you’ll be called a punch in the kidney. .”

‘I turned around and found him naked in my bed’

In another incident, Ms. Brook claimed she went back to her bed after work and found another officer naked in her bed.

She explained that he was “apparently in the shower” and was in a “sexual position”.

“He just thought it was funny. Your bed is like your sanctuary… no one messes with everyone’s bed because it’s your only private space on board.”

This is not the only time Ms Brook has had to endure such an experience, another time she was sleeping when she woke up with a “little fumble”.

“A senior officer with me tried to get into my bed and kiss me, and I pushed him away and said no,” she told Sky News.

“He immediately turned around when I said no, but I was quite shocked to see him walk into my bed in the first place.”

In other incidents, Ms Brook claims she was called “c***”, “ritually humiliated” for “small mistakes” and found her name on a “deep list of rapes”. , in which women are ranked in the order in which they should have been raped in a catastrophic event.

‘There’s no way to get off that submarine’

Around 2017, she tried to bring her complaints to a cargo and a captain, giving “concrete examples” of the problems she was facing.

She explains: “For example, where I was told that I was going to have a cervical exam on the clinic table by the rest of us.

“I told him about other incidents … and his attitude to it was pretty much ‘you just hold back, things will get better, you’re the frontrunner, you have to expect that these this will happen’.”

When asked how she felt, she replied “helpless”, and explained that there is a “hierarchical structure” that everyone must strictly follow.

“When you’re on patrol, there’s nowhere to go. You can’t text, you can’t go home and talk to your partner, parent or friend and offload. There’s no way you have to. get off that submarine,” she said.

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‘I know I won’t cope’

Ms. Brook began to be severely affected, and when she was asked to transfer to a submarine she had specifically requested not to be on board, she hit her “break point” and began to self-destruct. harm yourself.

“I dealt with it by crying in my bed a lot. You know, women who cry openly would be described as menstruating. So I thought I’d stop being active outside and try. turn off the white noise and then move on,” she said.

“I knew I wouldn’t cope there, and that was ignored. I tried to break my arm to stop myself from having to go,” she added.

“I hurt myself enough to need stitches.”

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Inquiry into “disgusting” claims has been launched

Since Ms. Brook made her statement public, the head The Royal Navy has opened an investigation into the Submarine Service.

Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Lord of the Seas, said sexual assault and harassment has no place in the Royal Navy and anyone found to be a criminal will be held accountable.

“I am deeply concerned to hear about allegations of inappropriate behavior within the submarine service and I would like to reassure our people and anyone reading this that any failure The highest standards set by the Royal Navy are completely unacceptable and are not a true reflection of the service’s longevity,” he said on Twitter.

“These allegations are heinous. Sexual assault and harassment has no place in the Royal Navy and will not be tolerated.”

But while Ms Brooks said she “wanted to have faith” in the investigation, she wanted to see an “independent investigation” take place.

“I have personally led several immediate ship investigations over the years, and I will tell everyone how you were directed about the outcome before proceeding with the investigation,” she said.

“I believe that the person at the head of it really wants to do a good job. But I don’t understand how an organization can investigate on its own.”

Earlier this year, the MoD announced a zero-tolerance policy on sex offenders aimed at aligning the Royal Navy, RAF and Army in one approach.